It will be a great day of fishing and fellowship at the Oilfield Helping Hands (OHH) 12th Annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament, to be held August 11-12 at Port O’Connor, Texas. It’s also an opportunity for fishermen, both in and outside the oilfield community, to support the organization, which has donated more than $3.4 million to oilfield families in critical financial need.

The 2015 tournament, one of the Houston chapter’s five annual fundraisers supported by hundreds of volunteers, brought out 385 fishermen and raised about $180,000 to support the OHH mission. “Competition brings out the best in people, and fishing is no exception,” said Gene Pate, the event chairman. “It’s a low-stress but competitive fundraiser, complete with food, drinks, door prizes, auction items and gun raffles.”

The OHH Saltwater Fishing Tournament is designed to give anglers of all backgrounds and skill levels a chance to compete in a professionally organized fishing tournament with great prizes and a low entry fee.

Each year OHH offers sponsorships for children from the Bluebonnet Youth Ranch in Yoakum, a residential home for dependent, abused and neglected children to participate in the tournament.

In addition, BYR receives all donated fish.

Registration is open for teams and sponsorships, both available on the OHH website – www.oilfieldhelpinghands.org/chapters/houston/ saltwater-fishing. Additional information about the event, competition categories, prizes, sponsorships available and tournament rules can be found on the website. Deadline for entry is July 18.

Proceeds from the tournament go to helping oilfield families in financial crisis. With the downturn in the oilfield over the past two years, the need has become greater. “There have been many families displaced by the brutal downturn in our industry,” said Darryl Swilley, Houston chapter president. OHH has assisted oilfield families in financial need, both in boom years and periods like this. We have been generously supported through corporate sponsorships, donations and volunteers. This year, the corporate participation has fallen drastically, so we challenge more individuals to become involved in our fundraiser.”

About Oilfield Helping Hands

OHH was organized in 2003 in Houston, with a small sporting clays tournament to benefit an oilfield services company employee whose savings had been depleted by several serious and expensive surgeries and medical problems. The event was such a huge success that the group decided to create a nonprofit organization to continue their efforts. Since then the organization has established additional chapters in Oklahoma, Acadiana (South Louisiana), Rocky Mountain (Colorado, Utah and Wyoming), the Permian Basin (West Texas and eastern New Mexico) and, most recently, South Texas.

The nonprofit organization raises money through corporate memberships, donations and fundraising events, including sponsorships and entry fees. The money that is raised is given, based on need, to members of the oilfield family who, through no fault of their own, are in a financial crisis. It has given more than $3.4 million to oilfield families in need. For more information about OHH, visit www.OilfieldHelpingHands.org.